Aging Can Make Your Happier
While your physical health will inevitably decrease the older you get, and your cognitive faculties might get a little less sharp, there is a plus side to this natural process called aging. Research has been suggesting that older adults are happier. Mood, sense of well-being, ability to handle stress, and other mental factors actually increase the older you get.
There was a survey in 2015 of 1,500 residents from San Diego, California between the ages of 21 and 99. The results found that those within their 20s-30s were the most stressed and unhappy, while the 80-99 year old respondents were very content. Another study involving brain-imaging found that older individuals also respond less to stressful imagery than younger adults.
Many psychologists and researchers believe that aging brings about a sense of satisfaction with life, due to the development of something called “wisdom.” With wisdom, empathy and other positive facets of one’s personality develop, while stress, anger, and impulsiveness fades away.
